Personal Branding: How to Go from Zero to Hero in No Time

Do you remember when only celebrities and major companies had personal brands? Actors, musicians, Fortune 100 businesses, and athletes got all the attention and dominated the airwaves.

Now, nearly anyone willing to put in the time and effort can become a “thought leader” in a specific niche. It won’t happen overnight, of course.

You only need to do a quick Google search to see that ordinary people from all over the world are using new personal branding tools, particularly social media, to craft personal brands that attract countless people to their websites and social media accounts.

Personal branding is what separates you from the rest of the people trying to make it in your field. Building a personal brand allows you to become a standout figure that people know, like, and trust.

Follow these seven simple steps below to become the go-to expert in your space.

Step #1. Start By Finding Your Niche

There’s a saying about SEO traffic that highlights something most people miss.

You can’t create search demand. You can only harvest it.

That means you can’t force people to search for a specific keyword. They either already do or they’re searching for something else.

See How My Agency Can Drive Massive Amounts of Traffic to Your Website

Your job in SEO is to recognize that and work on getting as much traffic you can from words that are already popular on their own.

Personal branding is similar, believe it or not.

For example, being the best CrossFit pug breeder in the world is worthless if there isn’t already a market or niche for that. (Seriously, is there?!)

The niche selection process is really important! You don’t want to spend all your time and energy linking your brand to a niche that’s not growing.

Where should you start when picking a niche?

That’s a good question because there’s no right answer necessarily, but here’s where I think you should start.

Pick something specific that you can do better than 90% of the world.

Why is that so specific? Because you can probably do a lot of things well, but that doesn’t mean you’re an expert in every single one of them.

The only way to create a personal brand is by becoming the go-to, recognized authority on a specific topic.

If you’re not an expert on it, someone else will be. Don’t be afraid to go small or narrow to dominate a topic.

The “online marketing” space, for example, is massive, and it’s taken the better part of a decade for me to become a recognized authority.

Take someone like Brian Dean, who decided to go deep on a particular topic instead of biting off more than he could chew.

Brian Dean's Website Shows His Personal Branding

Notice how he perfectly positions his personal brand. It’s all about backlinks and rankings for SEO.

Then the site’s graphics, design, and testimonials all reinforce those points.

There’s another important ingredient for a successful personal brand, though. One that deals more with your own style and point of view on this topic.

Step #2. Inject Personality Into Your Personal Brand

The first step (finding your niche) is about your own skills and potential market value.

The second step is about what you personally bring to the table. It’s your point of view or your “tone” that will help differentiate you from everyone else who talks about the same topics as you.

For example, I want to be seen as personable and down-to-earth.

That’s why I often use slang when writing. We might be talking about a technical topic, but I want to help you understand it in an easy-to-digest format.

A similar example is Ramit Sethi from I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

He works in the personal finance space, which is full of questionable people that give suspicious recommendations.

Ramit takes the opposite approach, using casual language, inside jokes, and F-bombs to show you that he’s being honest and holding nothing back.

My favorite post of his is on avocado toast, in which he completely debunks terrible “advice” from another personal finance columnist.

personal branding example - Blog Post on Ramit Sethi's Website

Ash Ambirge at The Middle Finger Project also uses strong language and a no-B.S. attitude that gets people to sit up and take notice.

Being polarizing like this might turn some people off, but it can also help you create raving fans who might feel like being politically correct with the same material comes off as disingenuous.

Now, contrast that example with someone who talks about similar topics, but in a completely different style and tone: Marie Forleo.

Website of Marie Forleo with Her Personal Branding

They might both cover similar topics, but Marie’s personality (and therefore, content, design, and other branding elements) are polar opposites.

If Ash sometimes slips between PG-13 and rated R, Marie is firmly rated G.

What you’re saying is important, yes. But how you’re saying it can be equally so. Make sure you choose a tone that is authentic to you and port

Step #3. Create Your Brand Identity

Have you noticed a trend with the past few people mentioned?

From my own website to Ramit, Ash, and then Marie?

Go back and look at their websites. What do you notice?

The design is impeccable.

They each have custom sites, beautiful photography, and even their logos are easily identifiable.

Why the heavy investment in the look and feel of these sites?

Because according to one academic study, 94% of the time someone’s first impression is based on design, and it only takes 50 milliseconds for that split-second decision to get made.

A massive part of creating a personal brand is looking the part. There’s a secondary benefit as well.

Consistent design helps them become recognizable no matter where they decide to post or interact online, from their websites to media sites like Entrepreneur.com or even Facebook and Twitter.

The first step to accomplish that is creating your brand’s mark or logo. Here are some of my favorite resources to make it happen.

99designs crowdsources design samples from people all over the world. So you can set a budget and explain what you’re looking for, then sit back and watch designers start submitting ideas.

Then you can decide which ones are on the right track, give them feedback to further revise the logo, and disqualify the rest.

Best of all, if you’re unsatisfied with the options, you’re not locked into paying.

If you don’t think the design examples you received are up to snuff, you can simply use the company’s 100% money-back guarantee to get your funds back.

Another less expensive alternative is LogoNerds, which is ideal if you’re on a budget. These logos start for as little as $27!

Many times, you can even have LogoNerds create a few samples to get ideas, and then take those off to a more seasoned designer to show them the direction you like or don’t like.

Once you’re ready for the big leagues (with a budget to match), you can find amazing designers to work with personally on Dribbble.

The best designers will use Dribbble as a way to showcase their work and latest projects so that you can get a sense of their style.

Many will also show off brand concepts or logo ideas, like these Brand Elements from Steve Wolf, so you can get a feel for what your own might look like.

Professional design is often what separates the ‘real’ experts from everyone else.

Start small with a logo to establish that working relationship with a designer you like, because they’re going to be worth their weight in gold when it comes time to redesign your website.

Step #4. Create and Redesign Your Own Personal Site

Look: there’s a TON of noise out there.

You’ve probably already heard all the statistics. Like the one that says there are five million blog posts published daily.

This means not only does your content need to be great, it means it also needs to be published frequently(like several times a week at least).

Continually putting out good stuff under your own name starts to create that connection between you and the topic target you’re aiming at.

Here’s what I mean.

Google “Neil Patel marketing.”

My content shows up all over the place, from Entrepreneur.com to Inc. and beyond.

Those sites are so big that they’re often ranked at the top of the search engines. So imagine you work hard to become an expert on a topic, but then when people Google you, they end up going to a different website instead of your own.

Frustrating, right?!

That’s why having your own site, and then working hard to raise its profile, can be an invaluable part of reinforcing your own personal brand.

SERP for Neil Patel Marketing - personal branding

See! I own and control almost every site on the first page of the SERPs for my name.

If anyone is looking for more information about me, they go to one of my websites instead of someone else’s.

That means I’m able to convert a much higher percentage of people into new, interested leads each month.

My content and social strategies are among the main reasons that my sites rank above those other mainstream media sites.

Step #5. Carve Out a Content and Social Strategy

Content marketing “costs 62% less than traditional marketing and generates about three times as many leads.”

That stat says about all there is to say!

Look back at the SERP example in the last step.

The reason all my websites rank highly for my name is because of all the quality content I’ve published for over many years.

There’s no secret:just a lot of consistent hard work.

Personally, I find long, in-depth content works the best for generating leads and ranking well. For example, some of my posts are over 10,000 words and require a full table of contents!

Table of Contents for Long Form Content by Neil Patel - personal branding example strategy

Look at those social share numbers though!

My readers love long-form content (the stats back it up), so I keep delivering.

The same goes for my advanced guides, which in addition to being in-depth, are also beautifully designed.

The trick is to figure out what kind of content works best for you and your readers.

For example, MarketingProfs is another big website catering to marketing professionals. However, its content is totally different from mine.

MarketingProfs focuses on seminars, webinars, and other data as opposed to in-depth guides. So there’s no “right” answer, necessarily.

Types of Content on Marketing Profs Website - personal branding example strategy

Your content strategy should also extend to your social media channels.

But keep in mind you shouldn’t necessarily be on every single social platform.

Spreading yourself too thin (and then not updating each frequently enough) is almost worse than not being on any social platforms at all.

So once again, go back to your own audience. Where are they?

For example, here are the biggest social sites right now based on audience size.

Most Popular Social Media Platforms -for use in personal branding strategy

Your own product or service plays a key role, too. For example, a wedding planner might not gain much traction on Twitter. However, if said wedding planner switches their focus to an image-focused social platform, like Pinterest or Instagram, they’re in business!

Step #6. Guest Blog to Promote Your Brand

In the early days, nobody will really know who you are.

That’s OK! It’s just critical that you realize this early before it’s too late.

If you spend all of your time initially only putting out good content on your own site, you’re unfortunately going to be wasting your time.

Instead, you should almost spend more time trying to get on other sites first.

Focus on sites that already have the traffic and audience numbers you’re targeting. For example, becoming a regular on a huge site like Forbes suddenly gives you a presence in the industry.

Neil Patel on Forbes - personal branding strategy example, guest blogging

Now you can leverage that traffic to drive people back to your own site when they start looking for more information about you.

Many times, these sites will allow you to add your own bio and title, too.

So instead of the generic “Founder of a Company That Nobody’s Ever Heard From,” you can use that valuable real estate to start planting the seed for your personal brand. Incorporate your niche and bring in elements of your personality.

Short About Section for Neil Patel - guest blogging example strategy of personal branding

Step #7. Seek Out Mentors

There’s no such thing as a “self-made” successful person.

They had to have help from someone, somewhere, at some time in their life.

Similarly, becoming a recognized expert in a field can be incredibly challenging at first.

You’ll eventually need other big-name players in the industry to recognize you as an expert, which will boost your brand to help you reach the top of your chosen niche.

Even Tiger Woods, arguably the most successful golfer of all time, worked with a swing coach for almost his entire career.

Tiger Woods with Butch Harmon Stanford - personal branding strategy of working with a mentor

Think about that.

The guy arguably didn’t need to listen to anyone; and yet, he used mentors to help him sharpen his game.

80% of CEOs surveyed in one study said they had a mentor to help them early in their careers.

Almost all successful entrepreneurs I know have had mentors help them become the recognized experts they are today.

Personal Branding FAQs

What is personal branding?

Personal branding is reputation building by finding what makes you unique. This is how your brand communicates and how your brand presents itself visually.

Why do I need a niche?

Specifying your niche will allow you to find what makes you unique. This also means you’ll be able to tap into the audience that is looking for what you can do to help them.

What is design important for personal branding?

Great design is easy on the eyes and captures attention. It’s also easy for people to identify common design elements so reinforcing your brand is easier. This makes you instantly recognizable online.

What can I do to establish myself as an authority?

Creating and promoting content on other websites and blogs will help you connect with existing audiences and build awareness about you. Guest posts on blogs can help you build a digital presence.

Personal Branding Conclusion

Becoming the go-to, recognized expert in your industry isn’t an overnight proposition.

It’s going to take a lot of hard work and effort to reach the top, but it’s also one of the highest ROI activities you can pursue.

Not at first, of course. You have to invest the time, money, and work to slowly break through in your industry.

You’re going to have to look the part, put out content at an intense pace, and constantly meet new people. Finding a mentor can help you to avoid many of the same mistakes that have plagued the people before you.

Ultimately, becoming a recognized authority in your niche is definitely doable as long as you put in the work.

What’s your best personal branding tip to break through a crowded space?

It’s Time to Build Credit for Your Business

Did You Know You Can Build Credit for Your Business?

Yes, you really can build credit for your business.

But let’s start with some definitions and background on business credit.

Business Credit

This is credit in a business’s name. It is not tied to the owner’s creditworthiness. Instead, business credit scores depend on how well a company can pay its bills. Hence consumer and business credit scores can vary dramatically.

Business Credit Benefits

There are no demands for a personal guarantee. You can quickly get business credit regardless of personal credit quality. And there is no personal credit reporting of business accounts. Business credit utilization won’t affect your consumer FICO score. Plus the business owner isn’t personally liable for the debt the business incurs. The same can be true for you as you build credit for your business.

Another advantage is that even startups can do this. Heading to a bank for a business loan can be a formula for disappointment. But building company credit, when done right, is a plan for success.

Consumer credit scores are dependent on payments but also additional components like credit use percentages.

But for business credit, the scores actually only depend on if a company pays its debts in a timely manner.

Business Credit Details

Being accepted for business credit is not automatic. Building business credit requires some work. Some of the steps are intuitive, and some of them are not.

Yet, it can be done easily and quickly, and it is much speedier than developing personal credit scores.

Merchants are a big component of this process.

Performing the steps out of sequence leads to repetitive denials. Nobody can start at the top with company credit. For example, you can’t start with retail or cash credit from your bank. If you do, you’ll get a denial 100% of the time.

Fundability is the Start of How to Build Credit for Your Business

Fundability is the current ability of our business to get funding. Some factors are within your control. Others (like your time in business) aren’t. Your online presence and data are one area which is at or close to 100% with your control.

For example, a small business needs a professional-looking web site and e-mail address. And it needs to have site hosting from a supplier like GoDaddy.

Plus, business phone numbers should have a listing on 411. You can do that here: http://www.listyourself.net/ListYourself/.

Additionally, the business phone number should be toll-free (800 exchange or comparable).

A small business also needs a bank account dedicated only to it, and it needs to have all of the licenses necessary for operating.

Licenses

These licenses all have to be in the specific, correct name of the small business. And they need to have the same business address and phone numbers.

So keep in mind, that this means not just state licenses, but potentially also city licenses.

Keep your business protected with our professional business credit monitoring.

Build Credit for Your Business and Work With the IRS

Visit the Internal Revenue Service web site and get an EIN for the business. They’re free. Select a business entity like corporation, LLC, etc.

A company may start off as a sole proprietor. But they absolutely need to switch to a variety of corporation or an LLC.

This is to decrease risk. And it will maximize tax benefits.

A business entity matters when it involves taxes and liability in the event of a lawsuit. A sole proprietorship means the business owner is it when it comes to liability and tax obligations. Nobody else is responsible.

The best thing to do is to incorporate. You should only look at a DBA as an interim step on the way to incorporation.

Starting to Build Credit for Your Business

Begin at the D&B website and get a free D-U-N-S number. A D-U-N-S number is how D&B gets a small business in their system, to produce a PAYDEX score. If there is no D-U-N-S number, then there is no record and no PAYDEX score.

Once in D&B’s system, search Equifax and Experian’s sites for the company. You can do this at www.creditsuite.com/reports. If there is a record with them, check it for accuracy and completeness. If there are no records with them, go to the next step in the process.

By doing this, Experian and Equifax have something to report on.

Business Credit, Fundability, and Business Funding Applications

The better your business credit and fundability are, the more likely you will get approval for business financing. Consider your online presence.

Build Credit for Your Business with Your Professional Business Email and Website

There are some aspects of fundability where you should pay particular attention to what’s going on online. They include:

Business owners listed and listed ownership uniform
Business name and address uniform
Industry aligned
Company domain
Information uniform on all records

Build Credit for Your Business with Your Business Ownership Listings

Records consistency matters here, too. Your website should show who owns your business. And that information needs to be consistent. So if the owner is named Susan Johnson on your website’s About page, then she can’t be listed as Sue Johnson on your Contact page. If your business ownership changes, you need to show that here.

Business Name and Address Uniformity

Abbreviations can be your downfall here, as can punctuation like hyphens, commas, and colons. If your Contact page says your main office is on Main Street, then your About page can’t say it’s on Main St.

If your business moves, or you add subsidiaries and other locations, then you need to update that information everywhere. This even means whether you use your 5-digit ZIP code, or a ZIP plus 4 code (9 digits).

Industry Alignment

If your business is over the road trucking, then it needs to be listed that way. Pro tip: when your industry can be called several different names, like long distance trucking, mention those other phrases on your website.

Your Company Domain

When your company domain matches your business name, it helps with fundability. Pro tip: try to match what people will be searching for online, so if (for example) the word ‘brothers’ is in your company name, then determine if ‘brothers’ or ‘bros’ will be used by people searching for your company and its goods and services online.

Keep your business protected with our professional business credit monitoring.

Your Email Address

Given that so much more of lending decisions is going on online these days, then your email address is an opportunity for your business to puts its best foot forward. Don’t squander this easy and free opportunity! General email addresses like admin@yoursite.com tend to be best.

With a general email address, if someone leaves your employ, another employee can seamlessly take over that email address. A username like admin, webmaster, or even hello is far, far better than cutiepie or the like, even if you’re in a playful industry that caters to kids. After all, your bank and banker aren’t.

Build Credit for Your Business with Records Consistency

Keep your records consistent! This includes your online records. LexisNexis and the SBFE (Small Business Financial Exchange) are looking at everything, so it had better match.

Inconsistent records will lead to a denial due to fraud because that’s how lenders interpret inconsistencies. This is a cause of denials which is in the business owner’s hands. You have the ability to change and correct this.

This means your business name, address, phone number – everything! – must look the same in these places and more:

Every place your business has an online presence (your website, Yelp, SoTellUs, etc.)
IRS records
Your business’s records with Dun & Bradstreet, Experian, and Equifax
All licenses needed to run your business
Incorporation documents

Copy/paste this information; don’t chance it with retyping.

Starter Vendor Credit

First you ought to build tradelines that report. Then you’ll have an established credit profile, and you’ll get a business credit score.

And with an established business credit profile and score you can begin to get credit for numerous purposes, and from all sorts of places.

These types of accounts tend to be for things bought all the time, like marketing materials, shipping boxes, outdoor work wear, ink and toner, and office furniture.

But to start with, what is trade credit? These trade lines are credit issuers who give you starter credit when you have none now. Terms are generally Net 30, rather than revolving.

Therefore, if you get an approval for $1,000 in vendor credit and use all of it, you must pay that money back in a set term, like within 30 days on a Net 30 account.

Details

Net 30 accounts must be paid in full within 30 days. 60 accounts need to be paid completely within 60 days. Compared to revolving accounts, you have a set time when you have to pay back what you borrowed or the credit you used.

To kick off your business credit profile properly, you need to get approval for vendor accounts that report to the business credit reporting agencies. When that’s done, you can then use the credit.

Then pay back what you used, and the account is on report to Dun & Bradstreet, Experian, or Equifax.

Vendor Credit — It Helps

Not every vendor can help in the same way true starter credit can. These are merchants that grant approval with hardly any effort. You also need them to be reporting to one or more of the big three CRAs: Dun & Bradstreet, Equifax, and Experian.

As you get starter credit, you can also start to get credit from retailers. Here are some stellar choices from us: https://www.creditsuite.com/blog/5-vendor-accounts-that-build-your-business-credit/

Fleet Credit

Fleet credit is from service providers where you can buy fuel, and fix and take care of vehicles. You must use your SSN and date of birth on these applications for verification purposes. For credit checks and guarantees, make sure to apply using the business’s EIN.

Keep your business protected with our professional business credit monitoring.

More Universal Cash Credit

These are companies such as Visa and MasterCard. You must use your Social Security Number and date of birth on these applications for verification purposes. For credit checks and guarantees, use your EIN instead.

These are commonly MasterCard credit cards.

Monitor Your Business Credit

Know what is happening with your credit. Make sure it is being reported and fix any mistakes ASAP. Get in the practice of checking credit reports. Dig into the specifics, not just the scores.

We can help you monitor business credit at Experian, Equifax, and D&B for a lot less than it would cost you at the CRAs. See: www.creditsuite.com/monitoring.

Update Your Records

Update the relevant information if there are errors or the info is incomplete. At D&B, you can do this at: https://www.dnb.com/duns-number.html. For Experian, go here: www.experian.com/small-business/business-credit-information.jsp. So, for Equifax, go here: www.equifax.com/business/small-business.

Fix Your Business Credit

So, what’s all this monitoring for? It’s to challenge any problems in your records. Mistakes in your credit report(s) can be corrected. But the CRAs typically want you to dispute in a particular way.

Get your small business’s PAYDEX report at: www.dnb.com/about-us/our-data.html. Get your company’s Experian report at: www.businesscreditfacts.com/pdp.aspx?pg=SearchForm. And get your Equifax business credit report at: www.equifax.com/business/credit-information.

Disputes

Disputing credit report inaccuracies usually means you mail a paper letter with copies of any proofs of payment with it. These are documents like receipts and cancelled checks. Never mail the original copies. Always send copies and retain the original copies.

Fixing credit report inaccuracies also means you precisely itemize any charges you challenge. Make your dispute letter as clear as possible. Be specific about the issues with your report. Use certified mail to have proof that you sent in your dispute.

A Word about Business Credit Building

Always use credit sensibly! Never borrow beyond what you can pay back. Track balances and deadlines for repayments. Paying on time and completely does more to increase business credit scores than just about anything else.

Establishing small business credit pays off. Great business credit scores help a business get loans. Your credit issuer knows the company can pay its debts. They understand the small business is bona fide.

The company’s EIN connects to high scores and loan providers won’t feel the need to ask for a personal guarantee.

Build Credit for Your Business: Takeaways

Business credit is an asset which can help your business for many years to come. Learn more here and get started toward establishing company credit.

The post It’s Time to Build Credit for Your Business appeared first on Credit Suite.

Yes! You Can Get a First Time Business Credit Card

Check Out How to Get a First Time Business Credit Card

Do YOU need a first time business credit card?

We researched lots of company credit cards for you. So, here are our choices.

Per the SBA, business credit card limits are a whopping 10 – 100 times that of personal credit cards!

This shows you can get a lot more money with company credit cards.

And you will not need collateral, cash flow, or financials to get small business credit.

First Time Business Credit Card Benefits

Benefits can vary. So, make sure to pick the benefit you would prefer from this selection of alternatives.

And always check rates on the appropriate website.

Get a First Time Business Credit Card for Fair to Poor Credit, Not Calling for a Personal Guarantee

Brex Card for Startups

Look into the Brex Card for Startups. It has no yearly fee.

You will not need to provide your Social Security number to apply. And you will not need to supply a personal guarantee. They will take your EIN.

Nevertheless, they do not accept every industry.

Likewise, there are some industries they will not work with, as well as others where they want more paperwork. For a list, go here: https://brex.com/legal/prohibited_activities/.

To determine creditworthiness, Brex checks a company’s cash balance, spending patterns, and investors.

You can get 7x points on rideshare. Get 4x on travel. Likewise, get triple points on restaurants. And get double points on recurring software payments. Get 1x points on everything else.

You can have bad credit (even a 300 FICO) to qualify.

Find it here: https://brex.com/lp/startups-higher-limits/

Get a First Time Business Credit Card for Fair Credit

Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business

Have a look at the Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business. It has no annual fee. There is no introductory APR offer. The regular APR is a variable 26.99%. You can earn unlimited 1% cash back on every purchase for your company, without any minimum to redeem.

While this card is within reach if you have average credit scores, beware of the APR. However if you can pay on schedule, and completely, then it’s a bargain.

Find it here: https://www.capitalone.com/small-business/credit-cards/spark-classic/

Get a First Time Business Credit Card with No Annual Fee

No Yearly Fee/Flat Rate Cash Back

Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card

Have a look at the Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card. There is no yearly fee for the first year. Then pay $250 per year. There is no introductory APR deal. If you pay your bill early, you get a 1.5% discount, with no cap on what you can earn back.

Earn 5% cash back at office supply stores and on cellular and landline phone service, internet, and cable TV; 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants; and 1% cash back on everything else.. 5% and 2% cash-back bonus rewards apply only to the first $25,000 spent on the corresponding bonus categories each account anniversary year. You will need exceptional credit scores to get this card.

Find it here: https://creditcards.chase.com/business-credit-cards/ink/unlimited

Score the best business credit cards for your business. Check out our professional research.

Business Credit Cards with a 0% Introductory APR – Pay Zero!

Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Check out the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. It has no yearly fee. There is a 0% introductory APR for the initial year. Afterwards, the APR is a variable 13.24 – 19.24%.

Get double Membership Rewards® points on day to day business purchases like office supplies or client suppers for the initial $50,000 spent per year. Get 1 point per dollar afterwards.

You will need good to excellent credit to qualify.

Find it here: https://creditcard.americanexpress.com/d/bluebusinessplus-credit-card/

American Express® Blue Business Cash Card

Also have a look at the American Express® Blue Business Cash Card. Note: the American Express® Blue Business Cash Card is identical to the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. Yet its rewards are in cash as opposed to points.

Get 2% cash back on all qualified purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year. After that get 1%.

It has no yearly fee. There is a 0% introductory APR for the initial 12 months. After that, the APR is a variable 13.24 – 19.24%.

You will need great to excellent credit to qualify.

Find it here: https://creditcard.americanexpress.com/d/business-bluecash-credit-card/

Terrific Cards for Cash Back

Flat-Rate Rewards

Capital One ® Spark® Cash for Business

Check out the Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business. It has an introductory $0 yearly fee for the first year. Afterwards, this card costs $95 per year. There is no introductory APR offer. The regular APR is a variable 20.99%.

You can get a $500 one-time cash bonus after spending $4,500 in the initial three months from account opening. Get unlimited 1.5% cash back with Cash Select.

You will need great to outstanding credit to qualify.

Find it here: https://www.capitalone.com/small-business/credit-cards/spark-cash/

Flat-Rate Rewards and No Annual Cost

Discover it® Business Card

Check out the Discover it® Business Card. It has no yearly fee. There is an introductory APR of 0% on purchases for one year. After that the regular APR is a variable 14.49 – 22.49%.

Get unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases, with no category restrictions or bonuses. They double the 1.5% Cashback Match at the end of the first year. There is no minimal spend requirement.

You can download transactions quickly to Quicken, QuickBooks, and Excel. Note: you will need good to outstanding credit to qualify for this card.
https://www.discover.com/credit-cards/business/

Score the best business credit cards for your business. Check out our professional research.

Bonus Categories

Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card

Check out the Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card. It has no yearly fee. There is a 0% introductory APR for the initial year. After that, the APR is a variable 13.24 – 19.24%. You can get a $750 one-time cash bonus after spending $7,500 in the initial 3 months from account opening.

You can get 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on web, cable, and phone services each account anniversary year.

Get 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gasoline stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases. There is no limitation to the amount you can earn.

You will need exceptional credit to qualify for this card.
Find it here: https://creditcards.chase.com/business-credit-cards/ink/cash?iCELL=61GF

Boosted Cash Back Categories

Bank of America® Business Advantage Cash Rewards MasterCard® credit card

Have a look at the Bank of America® Business Advantage Cash Rewards MasterCard® credit card. Get an 0% introductory APR for the first 9 billing cycles of the account. Afterwards, the APR is 12.24% – 22.24% variable. There is no annual fee. You can get a $300 statement credit offer.

Get 3% cash back in the category of your choice. So these are gas stations (default), office supply stores, travel, TV/telecom & wireless, computer services or business consulting services. Earn 2% cash back on dining. So this is for the initial $50,000 in combined choice category/dining purchases each calendar year. After that earn 1% after, with no limits.

You will need superb credit to qualify.

Find it here: https://www.bankofamerica.com/smallbusiness/credit-cards/products/cash-rewards-business-credit-card/

Get a First Time Business Credit Card with Flexible Financing

The Plum Card® from American Express

Check out the Plum Card® from American Express. It has an introductory yearly fee of $0 for the first year. Afterwards, pay $250 each year.

Get a 1.5% early pay discount cash back bonus when you pay within 10 days. You can take up to 60 days to pay without interest when you pay the minimum due by the payment due date.

You will need excellent to exceptional credit scores to qualify.
Find it here: https://creditcard.americanexpress.com/d/the-plum-card-business-charge-card/

Unbeatable Cards for Jackpot Rewards That Never Expire

Capital One® Spark® Cash Select for Business

Take a look at the Capital One® Spark® Cash Select for Business. It has no annual fee. You can get 1.5% cash back on every purchase. There is no limit on the cash back you can earn. Also earn a one-time $200 cash bonus as soon as you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Rewards never expire.

Pay a 0% introductory APR for 9 months. Then pay 13.99% – 23.99% variable APR after that.

You will need good to exceptional credit to qualify.

Find it here: https://www.capitalone.com/small-business/credit-cards/spark-cash-select/

Score the best business credit cards for your business. Check out our professional research.

The Very Best First Time Business Credit Card for You

Your straight-out ideal company credit cards depend upon your credit history and scores.

Just you can choose which features you want and need. So, to do your research. What is outstanding for you could be disastrous for another person.

And, as always, make sure to develop credit in the recommended order for the best, speediest benefits.

The post Yes! You Can Get a First Time Business Credit Card appeared first on Credit Suite.

Get Your First Time Business Loan

Can You Get a First Time Business Loan for Your Startup Business?

When it comes to a first time business loan, what are your best choices for your startup?

What are All the Different Types of Business Loans?

There are several different types of business loans out there. Startups can have more trouble getting funding. This is because you don’t have a business credit history – and you don’t have inventory or cash flow. But those aren’t the only way to get a first time business loan. Check out what else you can do.

Choosing Among the Many Different Types of Business Loans Means Knowing What’s Right for You

Knowing the different types of small business loans is only half the battle. You have to know how to figure out which one is right for you. The answer to that will vary based on a number of factors, and it may even change over the course of your business.

But the right type of loan for your business now may not be the right type for your business later. The best way to start figuring out which loan is right for your business is to figure out what’s available. Did you know that traditional bank loans are not the only option?

Types of Small Business Loans

There are many more, including:

Securities-Based Financing
401(k) Financing
The Credit Line Hybrid
SBA Loans
Equipment Financing
Traditional Lines of Credit

Let’s dive in to each one and figure out which one is best for your business right now

Get a First Time Business Loan with Securities-Based Financing

Use existing stocks as leverage to get business financing. Borrow as much as 90% of their value. You continue to earn interest on the stocks pledged as collateral. Closing and funding takes less than 3 weeks.

Rates can be as low as 1.6%. This is a working capital line of credit. You will have challenged personal credit.

And if you do not have this type of securities, you can still get great funding if a credit partner (guarantor) has them.

Get a First Time Business Loan with 401(k) Financing

Use your existing 401(k), or IRA as collateral for business financing. This program uses IRS proven strategies. You will pay no tax penalties.

You still earn interest on your 401(k). pay low rates, often less than 5%. Close and fund in less than 3 weeks. You can usually get up to 100% of what’s “rollable” within your 401(k).

Follow these steps. A new corporation is formed; a retirement plan is created to allow for investment into the corporation; funds are rolled over into the new plan. Then the new plan purchases stock in corporation and holds it. The corporation becomes debt free and cash rich.

And, as before, if you don’t have an appropriate IRA or 401(k), you can still get this kind of funding if you’ve got a credit partner with the right stuff.

Demolish your funding problems with 27 killer ways to get cash for your business.

For an Alternative to a First Time Business Loan, get to know Our Hybrid Credit Line Program

Check out this form of unsecured funding. Unsecured funding does not require collateral, but the lender’s risk is mitigated by higher interest rates. Our credit line hybrid has an even better interest rate than a secured loan. Yet you can get the money faster and easier than any type of traditional funding. Get business funding without having to supply bank statements or credit stubs. You can get funding in a few days rather than weeks without supplying any collateral or documents.

You can get some of the highest loan amounts and credit lines for businesses. Get 0% business credit cards with stated income. No financials required. These report to business CRAs. You can build business credit at the same time. This will get you access to even more cash with no personal guarantee.

You can often get a loan of 5 times the amount of current highest revolving credit limit account. This is up to $150,000. Easily five times what you could get on your own when applying for cards. Get cash out on this program as well.

Advantages

There will be NO impact on your personal credit with this type of financing. You need a good credit score or a guarantor with good credit to get an approval. With good personal credit, get unsecured credit cards with a personal guarantee. And with good business credit, get unsecured credit cards without a personal guarantee.

Check out business credit. It should be your goal to build business credit, even if you can get funding elsewhere. Business credit will help your company for years to come. Business credit is credit linked to your EIN and not your SSN.

This credit is available without a personal guarantee. It is available regardless of personal credit. You can get business credit immediately. Business credit is the only way to get money for a business when you don’t have collateral, cash flow, good personal credit, or a guarantor.

Get a First Time Business Loan Through SBA Loans

Guaranteed by the federal government. Issued by participating lenders, usually banks. They offer a lot of the perks of traditional loans, such as lower interest rates and favorable terms. Due to government guarantee, lenders are able to offer them to those with a lower credit score than would typically be required.

Eligibility for SBA Loans

Lenders and loan programs have unique eligibility requirements. In general, eligibility is based on what a business does to receive its income, the character of its ownership, and where the business operates. Hence even those with bad credit may qualify for startup funding.

Normally, businesses must meet size standards, be able to repay, and have a sound business purpose. The lender will provide you with a full list of eligibility requirements for your loan. See www.sba.gov/document/support–table-size-standards.

More About Eligibility for SBA Loans

General eligibility also includes:

Being a for-profit business – the business must be officially registered and operating legally
Doing business in the US – the business must be physically located and operating in the US or its territories
Having vested equity – the owner must have invested their own time or money in the business
Exhausting other funding options – the business must not be able to get funds from any other financial lender

Ideal credit scores for an SBA loan are 680 or above. There are a number of SBA loan programs, each one designed to work for different needs and situations. Some of the most common SBA loan programs include:

7(a) loans
504 loans
Microloans
Disaster loans
Express loans

These are just a few the of the options available. Find out more at SBA.gov.

Demolish your funding problems with 27 killer ways to get cash for your business.

Which SBA Loan is Best?

The thing about SBA loans is that they each have a specific purpose. For example, if your business has suffered due to a natural disaster, you need a disaster loan. If you need $50,000 or less, a microloan may be the best option. But the 7(a) loan program is the most versatile.

SBA 7 (a) Loan Program Details

A standard 7(a) loan can be for up to $5 million. The maximum SBA guarantee is 85% for loans up to $150,000 and 75% for loans greater than $150,000. The interest rate varies but cannot exceed the SBA maximum. The turnaround is 5 – 10 business days. These funds can be used for a number of things, and the minimum credit score is 640. But of course the higher the better.

Who Do SBA Loans Work Best For?

These loans work well for those that are not in a hurry to get funding

The approval and funding process can take a while, especially with the government red tape required for the government guarantee. If you can wait, meet all the requirements, and want a more traditional type of loan, SBA loans are an option.

Get a First Time Business Loan with Equipment Financing

Businesses looking to buy or lease equipment can use equipment financing. Rates vary widely depending on risk factors. You usually can get approval with a 650 or better credit score. This is for major equipment only, not a combination of a lot of small equipment. These loans work well for those that have good credit and just need to finance some equipment. The equipment is the collateral, so that helps out some with rates.

Demolish your funding problems with 27 killer ways to get cash for your business.

Get a First Time Business Loan with a Traditional Line of Credit

This is similar to a traditional term loan in terms of where you get it, and approval requirements. However, it is revolving financing more like a credit card. Typically have better interest rates that credit cards. They work well for those who qualify for traditional term loans but want revolving credit rather than a term loan.

Which Types of Small Business Loans are Best for Your Business?

If you know what types of business loans are available to your business, you can make a more educated decision about which types of business loans will work best for you. Knowing what’s out there is only half the battle. You also have to understand your own eligibility and funding needs.

Get a First Time Business Loan: Takeaways

All businesses need funding. Traditional term loans are not the only option. Other options exist to help you money faster. Or funding despite bad credit. And you can better rates and terms than you would get with a traditional term loan.

The post Get Your First Time Business Loan appeared first on Credit Suite.

The PPP Loan Extension Offers the Gift of Time: Use it Wisely

On March 30, 2021 President Biden extended the PPP loan application deadline for the Paycheck Protection Program. The extension pushes the deadline from March 31, 2021 to May 31, 2021. It includes PPP loans for nonprofits as well. In addition to the PPP loan extension, this also allows for an extension of the SBA PPP processing time to June 30, 2021.

This is a major win for small businesses, as the program’s PPP loan forgiveness provides businesses a way to keep going despite the ongoing economic fallout from the pandemic.

The PPP Loan Extension is a Major Win For Small Businesses in More Ways than One

This serves two purposes. First, it allows more small businesses time to get their PPP loan application completed and turned in. At the same time, it gives the Small Business Administration more time to deal with any technical issues that may pop up with SBA PPP loans funding and processing.

Why Is a PPP Loan Extension Needed?

An extension is necessary to provide more support for businesses while the U.S. population is getting vaccinated for COVID-19 over the coming months.

It will give businesses more time to apply loans. This includes both first-time loans, and even a second draw PPP loan if applicable. The second draw is a second PPP loan available to some businesses that have already received one Paycheck Protection Program loan. Those who have issues with the application process will also be able to spend more time working through those problems.

Other PPP Loan Changes

Other recent changes will help even more applicants. This includes the smallest of small businesses, as well as minority-owned businesses and those located in rural communities. A two-week period in March was set aside only for businesses with fewer than 20 employees to apply.

That time is over, but still helpful is the fact that the administration is also now calculating the loan formula for sole proprietors, independent contractors and self-employed individuals differently. Furthermore, gone are the restrictions that prevent business owners with prior felony convictions not related to fraud, or those who have been delinquent on federal student loans, from receiving assistance.

Learn more here and get started with building business credit with your company’s EIN and not your SSN.

What Can You Do In the Meantime?

There is no question that the PPP loan program is a savior for many small businesses. Still, the money doesn’t come automatically. What if you need money right now? What if you can’t wait for the sometimes long PPP loan application process? Maybe the PPP loan won’t be enough. How can you supplement it?

Here are some ideas to either bridge the gap or take the place of a PPP loan.

Credit Line Hybrid

The credit line hybrid is business financing that does not require security. It is available to pretty much anyone for any type of business expense. You can use it for real estate, equipment, working capital, and even startup expenses. Furthermore, there is no down payment, and you do not have to provide income documentation. It is completely no-doc financing.

You need to have personal credit of 680 or above, but keep reading if you don’t because there are still options. . Also, there cannot be any late payments in the past 12 months, there can be no open collections or bankruptcies, and there should be less than 4 inquiries in the past 6 months on your consumer credit report. There also have to be at least 2 open credit cards with a $2,000 limit or higher with 2 years of good payment history.

If you do not meet these requirements, including the minimum credit score, you can take on a credit partner who does meet them.

You can get up to $150,000, and often interest rates are as low as 0% for the first 6 to 18 months.

401(k) Financing

The 401K financing program offered by Credit Suite is a flexible and powerful way for a new or existing business or franchise to leverage assets that are in a 401(k) plan or IRA. These are assets which are tied up in stocks.

It doesn’t take long either. In as little as 3 weeks you can actually invest a portion of these funds into your own business. Then, you not only have more control over the performance of your retirement plan assets, but you also have the working capital you need.

This type of program even has the blessing of the IRS. In fact, they have their own name for it. It’s called a Rollover for Business Startups (ROBS).

Do You Qualify for a ROBS?

Surprisingly, this type of financing is pretty easy to get. You do not have to submit financials or have good credit to get approval. In fact, all the lender will ask for is a copy of your two most recent 401(k) statements.

If the plan has a value of more than $35,000, you can get approval. This is true even if you have really bad personal credit. You can get however much of your 401(k) is “rollable.” Sometimes, you can secure a low-interest credit line or loan for 100% of your current 401(k) value.

The plan you use cannot be from a business where you currently work. It will have to be from previous employment. Also, you can’t still be contributing to it.

Learn more here and get started with building business credit with your company’s EIN and not your SSN.

Business Revenue Lending

If your business has consistent revenue of $120,000 per year or more, you may qualify for business revenue lending. Lenders verify revenue using bank statements. There can be no recent bankruptcies, but the minimum credit score to qualify is as low as 500.

A business must also be in operation for a year or more, and they must do more than 5 small transactions each month to get business revenue financing.

Merchant Cash Advance

If your business accepts credit card payments and you have at least a 500 FICO, you could get up to $750,000 in a merchant cash advance. Credit rates are usually lower compared to traditional financing as well.

There must be $100,000 or more per year in credit card sales, and typically you can get approval equal to one months credit card financing volume.

Account Receivable Financing

Outstanding account receivables can also be a source of funding for your business. Get as much as 80% of receivables advanced in less than 24 hours. You get the rest of the accounts receivable amount once you collect full payment for the invoice. Closing takes 2 weeks or less.

Receivables should be with the government or another business. Getting financing with receivables from individuals is not as easy. If you also have purchase orders, then you can get financing to have those filled. You won’t need to use your cash flow to do so.

Enterprise SBA Loans

For these loans you have to have collateral worth up to at least 50% of the loan amount, but you only need a FICO of 620. There also can be no bankruptcies in the past 4 years. Only for profit companies qualify, and they must have positive trends in sales growth. Generally amounts are available of up to $12 million with terms up to 25-years.

Credit Suite can help you get funding with these options and show some other possibilities.

Use the Time Allowed By the PPP Loan Extension Wisely

Getting funding for your business is not always easy. There is more to it than just applying for a loan. Business credit can get sticky. Having expert help can save you a lot of time and money. While you are waiting for your Paycheck Protection Program loan, consider working with a business credit expert to help you better position your business to access the funding it needs quicker and easier in the future.

A business credit expert can help make the most of the PPP loan extension time. They can work with you to evaluate the fundability of your business. The stronger your fundability, the more likely you are to get funding with the best rates and terms available. You can get a free consultation to help ensure your business is set up properly to build fundability.

An expert can help you evaluate the many factors that affect fundability. There are over 100. With so many factors, it can be hard to figure out where you stand without an expert. They can work with you to figure out where your business falls short and help you improve. Fundability is a tangled web affected by many things, and the time and money saved having an expert walk you through it is extremely valuable.

Learn more here and get started with building business credit with your company’s EIN and not your SSN.

What Else Can a Business Credit Expert Help With?

They can also walk you through the steps to establishing a business credit profile separate from your personal credit profile. Once that is done, they can help you find accounts that will report to that business credit profile.

This is key, because many vendors do not report. Those that do report, do not make it easy to find out that they do. A business credit expert has relationships with a number of vendors. They can help you find the ones that will successfully help you build your business credit score.

PPP Loan Extension: You Still Have Time

Thanks to the PPP Loan extension that President Biden signed, you still have time to get your PPP loan application in. No matter how fast you act however, some things never change. Especially with the PPP extension on the SBA side, you will likely be waiting a bit for your approval and to actually receive PPP funds.

If you need money right now, try one of these funding options. Then, put to good use the time the Paycheck Protection Program extension allows you. Use it to get in touch with a business credit expert. It’s a great time to start the process of building strong business fundability. The stronger your fundability, the easier it is to fund your business whatever the world throws your way, even a global pandemic.

The post The PPP Loan Extension Offers the Gift of Time: Use it Wisely appeared first on Credit Suite.

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11 Proven Ways to Increase Dwell Time

Are you doing everything you can to rank for a specific keyword? Are you struggling to get on even the first page, much less the top?

Here’s the thing: there’s a good chance you are making a ton of mistakes that sends users back to the SERP.

After developing hundreds of high-ranking pages, I’m here to show you the role dwell time plays in ranking and how you can increase it.

Before I share 11 strategies to increase your dwell time, let’s look at what dwell time is and why it matters.

What is Dwell Time?

Dwell time is the length of time a user spends on your page before returning to SERP. Most SEOs consider dwell time to be a ranking signal, though Google hasn’t confirmed it.

As an example, let’s say you want to establish a better morning routine. So you Google “morning rituals.”

SERP screenshot example, how to increase dwell time

You click on the first result. But the page is hard to navigate, and the content’s not useful.

Within a few seconds, you hit back on your browser and click on the second result.

The second page has excellent content, and the website is easy to scroll through. You end up spending six minutes there and then go back to the SERP.

Now, if other people also spend more time on the second page, Google may factor that in their page rankings and demote the current first result. That will bump the #2 result up to #1.

Although Google hasn’t gone on the record to say dwell time is a ranking factor, the closest thing we’ve got so far is a Google engineer sharing this tidbit:

“So when search was invented… they wrote heuristics that had figure out what the relationship between a search and the best page for that search was. And those heuristics worked pretty well and continue to work pretty well.

But Google is now integrating machine learning into that process. So then training models on when someone clicks on a page and stays on that page, when they go back or when they and trying to figure out exactly on that relationship.”

Here’s another strong indicator that dwell time is at least a mild ranking factor: Google used to let you hide specific websites on the SERP after visiting them.

If you bounce fast from a page, you could block all results from a domain – because Google knew that if people left a page quickly, there was a good chance they didn’t like the content.

Over time, that feature was dropped, likely as Google better understood which sites were most useful.

Dwell Time Versus Time On Page

You may have heard of time on page, which is the amount of time a user is on a page until they go anywhere else.

Time on page is based on two clicks:

1. A user visits your website.

2. The user then clicks on another page on your website.

The big difference between time on page and dwell time is whether or not the visitor went to another page on your website. With time on page, they have to visit a second page on your website for Google Analytics to take the session into account.

If a user only visits one page on your website, Google Analytics shows time on page for the session as zero.

Here are 11 strategies to increase your pages’ dwell time.

Hook Readers In

You have one shot at making a great first impression from the SERP. One web usability study found the first 10 seconds of a page visit are critical for determining if a visitor stays or goes.

Are your blog post introductions reeling in readers? To encourage dwell time, each introduction needs to be interesting and relevant to your target keywords.

Take this example from a recent post about spying on your competitor’s SEO.

competitor research example, how to increase your dwell time in SEO

The open-ended question is the hook. The follow-up sentence is brief and touches on a universal pain point. It also acts as a transition guiding the reader to the thesis.

This hook isn’t like a traditional university paper thesis, though. It’s a teaser of what readers can expect in your article.

Divide Into Snackable Sections

Your introduction gets site visitors engaged and excited to continue reading.

Use H2’s to break content into sections, so it’s easy to read. It also makes it easier for folks to go back and reference your content later.

A good example is this article on defining your target audience.

Another way to make your content easier to consume is to turn succinct lists intobullet-pointt format. These make content easier to read and help users find the meat of the content faster.

Another way to engage readers is to use a ton of screenshots and other visuals to illustrate your points.

Create a Multimedia Experience

Infographics aren’t just great for referral traffic. Visuals can also help keep your site visitors engaged.

For example, check out this content layering infographic. It makes a complex topic easier to digest and understand.

Here are a few tools you can use to create visuals for your content quickly:

Video can also encourage visitors to stick around. 80% of marketers said in a Wyzowl survey video increased the dwell time on their website. Embedding videos in your content can too.

Here are a few different strategies to increase the effectiveness of video:

Use an eye-catching video thumbnail so users will click and watch.
Customer testimonial videos and product videos can be a powerful way to push conversions.
Embed video explaining a specific strategy or concept you touch on within your content. Use the video for diving deeper into the strategy.
Share a video from a popular YouTube channel in your content. Then reach out to the producers, as there may be opportunities for social referral traffic.
Insert a video containing information with related content.

Match Search Intent

If you’re looking to rank #1 for a keyword on Google, you need to be the most relevant query. In other words, the content on your page needs to reflect a searcher’s intent, the reason for the search.

Let’s say you’re trying to rank for “best spa” in NYC.

Spas in NYC example in how to increase dwell time

Google knows the most relevant results from millions of searchers who have either bounced or stuck around pages. In this case, spa options based on a searcher’s location and the best spas worldwide are the top results.

A landing page spotlighting a specific spa won’t work. However, charts showing different destination spa’s amenities and price comparison tools may be effective.

The four most common types of search intent are:

Information

A searcher is looking for general information (“How can I interpret my dreams?”) or an answer to a specific question (“How old is Elon Musk?”)

Brand

The searcher is looking for a specific website or brand. They may forget the URL or find it easier to Google a brand than type out the site’s address.

Examples of brand searches:

“Instagram login”
“Ubersuggest”
“Neil Patel guide to Local SEO”

Inquiry

With an inquiry search, a searcher shows interest in an item or solution but is still researching and comparing their options.

Examples of inquiry searches:

“best spas”
“United versus Delta”
“Ubersuggest reviews”

Transaction

In a transaction search, the searcher is ready to buy. They are either looking for the best price or trying to find a specific item or service.

Examples of transaction searches:

“Chipotles near me”
“buy iPad pro”
“athletic greens coupon”

Now let’s say a spa decides to target “corporate wellness retreats.” Here are the steps they can take to do competitive research on Ubersuggest:

First, review search volume and keyword difficulty under “Keyword Ideas.”

keyword ideas in how to increase your dwell time

Next, analyze the top SERP results for that keyword.

keyword overview example on how to increase dwell time

Are the top results product pages, blog posts, or another format? For a search of “corporate wellness retreat,” we can see most of the top 10 results are landing pages.

As you review each page, take notes on the page’s content to see how you can improve.

You can also review on-page optimizations, such as the use of keywords in headlines and subheadings and any other factors encouraging dwell time.

Then review the top results off-page SEO strategy. Copy the URL of any result into Ubersuggest and select overview to see more about the domain, including:

The number of backlinks pointing to their domain
Domain score; the higher the number, the more authoritative a site is, and the higher it will rank in Google
The number of unique domains linking back to their domain

domain overview example in How to increase dwell time

Craft In-depth Content

In most cases, longer content gets more traffic. Since it takes more time to read, more robust content boosts dwell time.

Help encourage visitors to stick around by providing the go-to resource for a specific query using the Skyscraper technique (a term initially coined by Brian Dean of Backlinko).

All skyscraper content has one or more of the following elements:

Useful: Does it provide step-by-step instructions where possible? Are you providing your reader with clear takeaways?
Entertaining: Does your content draw in your reader either through a compelling narrative, hook, or funny bits?
User Experience: Is your content easy to navigate and skim? Does content logically flow? Is the content accessible in tone and style? In particular, it doesn’t read like a post-graduate paper or use larger words than needed.

Each of the eight steps in this article on monetizing your blog shows you don’t need a massive amount of traffic to start making money. Readers can also see a ton of examples where they can draw inspiration.

how to increase dwell time through great content

By creating thorough content it ranks #1 for highly competitive keywords and readers spend an average of over 4 minutes on the page.

Enable Comments

Open up your blog to questions and discussion in the comments. Just like here, where I try to reply to all comments.

People want to read others’ comments. Other readers likely have the same questions and can contain additional valuable responses from the author.

As people read or add in their own comments, their dwell time goes up.

Plus, you can get a ton of great feedback with your site visitors, like the comment below.

Create Interactive Elements

Interactive content not only keeps users on your page longer, it can also improve the user experience.

Quizzes, polls, downloadable assessments, and calculators are all features that can help site visitors work through the specific issue they came to your site to solve.

Establish Next Steps

If someone wants to learn more about a specific topic you’ve covered, make it easy to access with an internal link.

Internal links not only help keep users on your site, but are another key feature for on-page optimization.

Your internal links can also guide users to take the next step along your inbound funnel.

As you may know, a pillar page is a central piece on a website covering a topic in-depth.

Let’s say you’re looking to target a keyword with significant volume like “camper living.”

pillar page research, how to increase dwell time

Once you create a pillar page targeting the keyword, you may develop a blog post reviewing an RV essential like a mobile hotspot. Then link to this piece on your pillar page.

Increase Your Site Speed

Part of making a great first impression — and preventing people from hitting the back button on your site — is ensuring your pages load fast.

47% of consumers expect a page to load in two seconds or less.

A few tools to help speed up your site:

Mobile First

More than half of worldwide traffic comes from mobile devices, which means you need to provide a mobile-first experience on your website.

What does that mean? Your site needs to perform well on mobile devices, not just desktop.

Here’s how you can double-check your pages are optimized for mobile:

Visit Google Search Console.
Click “Mobile Usability.”
If any errors show in Search Console, click the error for details on how to fix the issue on your site.

Google’s support documentation that is linked in the results also provides more info on specific errors.

Level Up the Copy

You can have the best content but still fail to resonate with your readers.

Are all the sentences in your content the same length? Do paragraphs begin the same way? It will get boring.

Copywriting techniques are the ace up your sleeve. Here are a few strategies to keep your writing engaging you can take from copy masters:

Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.

-Leo Burnett

Can you say the same thing in fewer words? Are their compelling stories or statistics you can use to draw in a reader?

Copy is a direct conversation with the consumer.

– Shirley Polykoff

Keep the conversation going by mirroring your customers. Not sure what your audience is thinking? Survey your current and existing customers.

Have sections where readers may get overwhelmed or bored? Use Bucket Brigades, a term penned by Brian Dean. These phrases that help bridge two sentences and lead readers through content.

These phrases are instant attention grabbers and keep readers from bouncing:

Pro-tip:
Here’s the deal:
Now:
What’s the bottom line?
You might be wondering:
This is crazy:
It gets better/worse:
But here’s the kicker:
Want to know the best part?

Conclusion

All of these techniques can help increase dwell time. But let your rankings and analytics reveal the most effective elements for your content. Start at the top of the list and try each strategy. For example, you might find that your users respond to interactive elements or that they prefer lists.

Once you see what works, you can fine-tune your strategy.

Which strategy will you try first?

The post 11 Proven Ways to Increase Dwell Time appeared first on Neil Patel.

How to Establish Business Credit for the First Time in a Recession

As the novel coronavirus changes our economy, you may be wondering if you even can establish business credit for the first time in a recession. You most certainly can! And here’s how.

Establish Business Credit for the First Time in a Recession

Establishing small business credit means that your company gets opportunities you never knew you would. You can get all-new equipment, bid on realty, and cover the company payroll, even when times are a bit lean. This is specifically helpful in seasonal companies, where you can go for calendar months with solely hardly any sales. It’s time to establish business credit for the first time in a recession.

Yes, this can even happen during a bleak economy.

Given this, you should really work on developing your company credit. Improve and maintain your scores and you will have these chances. Do not, and either you do not get these chances, or they will set you back you a lot more. And no company owner wants that. You ought to recognize what affects your company credit before you can make it better.

Establish Business Credit for the First Time in a Recession: Business Credit Building

Small business credit is credit in a business’s name. It doesn’t tie to an owner’s consumer credit, not even when the owner is a sole proprietor and the sole employee of the business.

Thus, an entrepreneur’s business and individual credit scores can be very different.

The Benefits

Considering that business credit is independent from personal, it helps to secure a business owner’s personal assets, in the event of litigation or business insolvency.

Also, with two distinct credit scores, an entrepreneur can get two separate cards from the same merchant. This effectively doubles buying power.

Another benefit is that even startup businesses can do this. Going to a bank for a business loan can be a formula for frustration. But building small business credit, when done correctly, is a plan for success.

Consumer credit scores depend on payments but also additional components like credit usage percentages.

But for business credit, the scores truly just hinge on whether a company pays its bills on a timely basis.

Establish Business Credit for the First Time in a Recession: The Process

Building small business credit is a process, and it does not happen automatically. A company has to actively work to develop business credit.

That being said, it can be done easily and quickly, and it is much speedier than developing consumer credit scores.

Vendors are a big component of this process.

Performing the steps out of order will lead to repetitive rejections. Nobody can start at the top with company credit. For example, you can’t start with retail or cash credit from your bank. If you do, you’ll get a denial 100% of the time.

Establish Business Credit for the First Time in a Recession: Company Fundability

A company must be fundable to lending institutions and merchants.

For this reason, a company will need a professional-looking web site and email address. And it needs to have website hosting bought from a company such as GoDaddy.

Plus, business telephone and fax numbers ought to have a listing on ListYourself.com.

In addition, the company telephone number should be toll-free (800 exchange or the equivalent).

A company will also need a bank account devoted strictly to it, and it has to have every one of the licenses necessary for running.

Licenses

These licenses all must be in the accurate, correct name of the small business. And they must have the same small business address and phone numbers.

So bear in mind, that this means not just state licenses, but potentially also city licenses.

Learn more here and get started toward building business credit attached to your company’s EIN and not your SSN. Get money even in a recession!

Establish Business Credit for the First Time in a Recession: Dealing with the Internal Revenue Service

Visit the IRS website and get an EIN for the business. They’re free of charge. Pick a business entity such as corporation, LLC, etc.

A company can begin as a sole proprietor. But they will more than likely want to switch to a variety of corporation or an LLC.

This is in order to lessen risk. And it will take full advantage of tax benefits.

A business entity will matter when it pertains to tax obligations and liability in the event of litigation. A sole proprietorship means the owner is it when it comes to liability and taxes. Nobody else is responsible.

Sole Proprietors Take Note

If you operate a business as a sole proprietor, then at least be sure to file for a DBA. This is ‘doing business as’ status.

If you do not, then your personal name is the same as the company name. Therefore, you can find yourself being directly responsible for all company financial obligations.

Also, according to the Internal Revenue Service, using this structure there is a 1 in 7 chance of an IRS audit. There is a 1 in 50 probability for corporations! Steer clear of confusion and drastically lower the odds of an Internal Revenue Service audit simultaneously.

But don’t look at a DBA filing as being anything beyond a steppingstone to incorporating.

Establish Business Credit for the First Time in a Recession: Kicking Off the Business Credit Reporting Process

Start at the D&B website and obtain a free D-U-N-S number. A D-U-N-S number is how D&B gets a company in their system, to produce a PAYDEX score. If there is no D-U-N-S number, then there is no record and no PAYDEX score.

Once in D&B’s system, search Equifax and Experian’s websites for the business. You can do this at www.creditsuite.com/reports. If there is a record with them, check it for correctness and completeness. If there are no records with them, go to the next step in the process.

In this way, Experian and Equifax will have activity to report on.

Vendor Credit

First you need to build trade lines that report. This is also called vendor credit. Then you’ll have an established credit profile, and you’ll get a business credit score.

And with an established business credit profile and score you can start to get retail and cash credit.

These kinds of accounts often tend to be for the things bought all the time, like marketing materials, shipping boxes, outdoor work wear, ink and toner, and office furniture.

But first of all, what is trade credit? These trade lines are credit issuers who will give you starter credit when you have none now. Terms are usually Net 30, instead of revolving.

Hence, if you get an approval for $1,000 in vendor credit and use all of it, you must pay that money back in a set term, like within 30 days on a Net 30 account.

Learn more here and get started toward building business credit attached to your company’s EIN and not your SSN. Get money even in a recession!

Details

Net 30 accounts must be paid in full within 30 days. 60 accounts must be paid completely within 60 days. In contrast to with revolving accounts, you have a set time when you have to pay back what you borrowed or the credit you made use of.

To launch your business credit profile properly, you ought to get approval for vendor accounts that report to the business credit reporting agencies. As soon as that’s done, you can then make use of the credit.

Then repay what you used, and the account is on report to Dun & Bradstreet, Experian, or Equifax.

Vendor Credit – It Makes Sense

Not every vendor can help like true starter credit can. These are merchants that will grant an approval with very little effort. You also want them to be reporting to one or more of the big three CRAs: Dun & Bradstreet, Equifax, and Experian.

You want 3 of these to move onto the next step, which is retail credit.

Store Credit

Once there are 3 or more vendor trade accounts reporting to at least one of the CRAs, then move to store credit. These are service providers such as Office Depot and Staples.

Only use your Social Security Number and date of birth on these applications for verification purposes. For credit checks and guarantees, use the business’s EIN on these credit applications.

Fleet Credit

Are there more accounts reporting? Then move onto fleet credit. These are service providers such as BP and Conoco. Use this credit to buy fuel, and to fix and maintain vehicles. Only use your SSN and date of birth on these applications for verification purposes. For credit checks and guarantees, make certain to apply using the small business’s EIN.

Learn more here and get started toward building business credit attached to your company’s EIN and not your SSN. Get money even in a recession!

Cash Credit

Have you been responsibly handling the credit you’ve up to this point? Then move to more universal cash credit. These are service providers such as Visa and MasterCard. Just use your Social Security Number and date of birth on these applications for verification purposes. For credit checks and guarantees, use your EIN instead.

These are often MasterCard credit cards. If you have more trade accounts reporting, then these are in reach.

Establish Business Credit for the First Time in a Recession: Monitor Your Business Credit

Know what is happening with your credit. Make sure it is being reported and take care of any mistakes ASAP. Get in the habit of taking a look at credit reports. Dig into the details, not just the scores.

We can help you monitor business credit at Experian and D&B for a lot less.

Update Your Information

Update the details if there are inaccuracies or the information is incomplete.

Establish Business Credit for the First Time in a Recession Fix Your Business Credit

So, what’s all this monitoring for? It’s to dispute any errors in your records. Mistakes in your credit report(s) can be fixed. But the CRAs normally want you to dispute in a particular way.

Disputes

Disputing credit report inaccuracies typically means you send a paper letter with copies of any proof of payment with it. These are documents like receipts and cancelled checks. Never send the originals. Always send copies and keep the originals.

Fixing credit report inaccuracies also means you specifically detail any charges you challenge. Make your dispute letter as understandable as possible. Be specific about the problems with your report. Use certified mail so that you will have proof that you mailed in your dispute.

Establish Business Credit for the First Time in a Recession: A Word about Building Business Credit

Always use credit responsibly! Don’t borrow beyond what you can pay off. Track balances and deadlines for payments. Paying off promptly and completely will do more to increase business credit scores than just about anything else.

Establishing company credit pays off. Excellent business credit scores help a business get loans. Your loan provider knows the company can pay its debts. They understand the company is for real.

The company’s EIN links to high scores and loan providers won’t feel the need to call for a personal guarantee.

Establish Business Credit for the First Time in a Recession: Takeaway

Business credit is an asset which can help your business for years to come. It’s time to get started on how to establish business credit for the first time in a recession. Or at any other time! The COVID-19 situation will not last forever.

The post How to Establish Business Credit for the First Time in a Recession appeared first on Credit Suite.

Is It Time to Look at Alternative Business Loans?

Everyone is struggling right now. COVID-19 knocked the global economy for a loop. Have you taken advantage of all the unique funding options available for relief related to the coronavirus pandemic? Did you apply for the Paycheck Protection Plan? If you did, and you find yourself still struggling, it may be time to check into alternative business loans.

How to Get Alternative Business Loans and Can They Work for You?

If you have exhausted all of the state and federal funding available, or you are having trouble getting access, it may be time to consider alternative business loans to help bridge or fill the funding gaps left by the shattered economy.

Score the best business credit cards for your business, even when a recession looms.Check out our professional research.

What Are Alternative Business Loans?

These are loans that come through private lenders rather than banks. The majority of them operate online. For the most part, the process is fast and easy. You fill out an application online, and typically you receive approval in as little as a few hours. Once approved, funds are often in your account in a day or two.

The quick, simple process makes alternative business loans an attractive option. This is especially true if you have trouble qualifying for loans from traditional lenders due to credit score issues or lack of collateral.

Why Is It Easier to Qualify for Alternative Business Loans?

If these alternative loans are so fast and easy, why even bother with traditional loans? Well, interest rates and terms are considerably less favorable than those you may get with a traditional lender.

That’s because, to extend credit to those that do not qualify with a bank, alternative lenders have to relax a little on their eligibility requirements. As a result, they take on a lot more risk with their loans. To make up for it, they increase interest rates and loan terms. It helps to balance things out.

Alternative Business Loans: How Do I Start? Where Do I Start?

Once you know you are in a position to need alternative business loans, you can start shopping around. How? Research is key. Thorough research is important to make sure you find the best fit for your business.

While many alternative business loans have similar requirements, there are some vastly different and innovative platforms out there as well. Read all the reviews, but don’t forget to look at the actual lender websites too. Only you know what your situation is. You are the one that knows your credit score, how long you have been in business, and how much debt you can handle.

Start by figuring out eligibility. You may not be able to anticipate what every single lender will want to see. However, there are a few things that most lenders will want to know before approving a loan. Things such as credit score, annual revenue, and length of time in business are pretty common.

If you know your score and what your annual revenue is before you begin looking, you will be able to weed out the ones you do not qualify for from the start. There are so many that you will definitely see the need to do this. Here are just a few as an example.

Kick Off Your Alternative Business Loan Search with These Lenders

Fundbox

If you start with a search for an online lender, Fundbox is going to be one of the first to pop up. It is a line of credit rather than a loan, but it is a great funding option because there is no minimum credit score requirement.

They offer an automated process that is super-fast. Repayments are automatic, meaning they draft them electronically, and they occur on a weekly basis. One thing to remember is that you could have a repayment as high as 5 to 7% of the amount you have drawn currently, as the repayment period is comparatively short. This means you need to be sure you have enough funds in whatever account you connect them to so that it can cover your payment each week.

BlueVine

You will find with most any online lender, they often offer options more similar to invoice factoring and lines of credit. This is because those options present fewer risks than straight term loans. BlueVine is no different.

Upstart

Upstart is an online lender that uses a completely innovative platform for loans. The company itself questions the ability of financial information and FICO on their own to truly determine the risk of lending to a specific borrower. They choose to use a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to gather alternative data instead. They then use this data to help them make credit decisions.

This alternative data can include such things as mobile phone bills, rent, deposits, withdrawals, and even other information less directly tied to finances. The software they use learns and improves on its own. You can use their online quote tool to play with different amounts and terms to see the various interest rate possibilities.

Upstart’s innovative platform makes them one to research for sure.

Fora Financial

Founded in 2008 by college roommates, online lender Fora Financial now funds more than $1.3 million in working capital around the United States. There is no minimum credit score, and there is an early repayment discount if you qualify.

OnDeck

Obtaining financing from OnDeck is quick and easy. First, you apply online and receive your decision once application processing is complete. If you receive approval, your loan funds will go directly to your bank account. The minimum loan amount is $5,000 and the maximum is $500,000..

Lending Club

Popular online lender Lending Club offers term loans. You can get a quote in less than 5 minutes. Funds are available in as little as 48 hours if approved. There are no prepayment penalties.

Score the best business credit cards for your business, even when a recession looms.Check out our professional research.

Kiva

Kiva is an online lender that is a little different. For example, the interest rate is 0%, so even though you have to pay it back it is absolutely free money. They don’t even check your credit. However, there is one catch. You have to get at least 5 family members or friends to throw some money in the pot as well. In addition, you have to pitch in a $25 loan to another business on the platform.

Accion

If your personal credit is okay, Accion may be a good fit for small business startup loans. It is a microlender, a nonprofit, that offers installment loans to both startups and already existing businesses.

Credibly

Credibly is also a good option for business loans if you are already generating some revenue. They offer short term loans for both business expansion and working capital. You must be in business for at least 6 months to qualify, and they will approve loans to those with credit scores as low as 500.

Credit Line Hybrid: Another Great Alternative

A credit line hybrid is basically revolving, unsecured financing. It allows you to fund your business without putting up collateral, and you only pay back what you use.

It’s not as hard to qualify as you may think. You do need good personal credit. That is, your personal credit score should be at least 685. In addition, you can’t have any liens, judgments, bankruptcies or late payments. Also, in the past 6 months, you should have less than 5 credit inquiries, and you should have less than a 45% balance on all business and personal credit cards. It’s also preferred that you have established business credit as well as personal credit.

If you do not meet all of the requirements, all is not lost. You can take on a credit partner that meets each of these requirements. Many business owners work with a friend or relative to fund their business. If a relative or a friend meets all of these requirements, they can partner with you to allow you to tap into their credit to access funding.

Other Options If You Still Need Funding

What if, even with alternative business loans or a credit line hybrid, you still need more funding? Here are some other options to explore.

Business Credit Cards

These may get a bad reputation, but without another option, they can actually do the trick quite nicely. The benefit is that these are available more readily even with a credit score that isn’t awesome. However, the lower the credit score, the higher the interest rate. Also, even credit card companies have limits on how low of a credit score they will accept.

This is one funding option that most of the general public are eligible for at any given time. They do a credit check, but your credit doesn’t have to be as high as it would be to gain approval for a traditional loan.

The downside, of course, is that they usually have high interest rates. The upside is that many of them offer rewards in the form of cash or points that can be helpful.

Grants

While requirements vary from grant to grant, and most are only awarded to a certain number of recipients, this is one of the available funding types worth looking into if you fall into one of these basic categories.

Women owned business

Minority owned business

Businesses run by veterans

Businesses in low income areas

There are also some corporations that offer grants in a contest format that do not require much other than that you meet the corporation’s definition of a small business and win the contest.

While there are not a lot of these out there, they are more common that you probably think. Typically, they are offered by professional organizations. There are some government grants available also. Competition can be stiff, but they are definitely worth a shot if you think you may qualify.

Score the best business credit cards for your business, even when a recession looms.Check out our professional research.

Crowdfuding

This is a newer option for finding investors. While the average person that wants to start a business needs funding, it is not always possible to find one or two large investors.

With crowdfunding, you can literally have a crowd of investors fund your business $5 and $10 at the time.

There are many crowdfunding sites. The most popular are Kickstarter and Indiegogo. The platforms are similar but there are some differences that bear mentioning. The most obvious difference is with the timing of when you actually receive the funds that others invest in your company.

Kickstarter requires a goal set from the beginning. You do not receive your funds until you reach that goal. For example, if you set a goal of $10,000 when you start your campaign, you will not receive any money that investors offer up until you reach that $10,000.

Indiegogo requires a goal as well. However, they offer the option to receive funds as you go. They also have an option called InDemand. This is a program that allows you to continue raising funds after your original campaign is over without starting a whole new campaign. It is more like you are just extending the first campaign.

There are other crowdfunding sites out there as well. Some work better for certain businesses and vendors. To determine which one might be best for you, you will have to do some research.

Alternative Business Loans Are a Viable Option if Traditional Loans Will Not Work

At this point, it’s all hands on deck. Most businesses need money, and they need it now. Everyone is just trying to stay above water. Definitely take advantage of all of the options available from the Federal government, your state government, and any local organizations trying to help small businesses right now. Even local governments are helping out in many areas.

However, sometimes it will take much more. Sometimes, you may even have to get innovative and adapt the way you operate to our current global circumstances. Alternative business loans are great for that. If you need a little more help, check out business credit cards, crowdfunding, and even grant opportunities.

All of these options are available to help you get the funds you need right now so your business can survive.

The post Is It Time to Look at Alternative Business Loans? appeared first on Credit Suite.

The SEO Tool Kit: 11 Tools That’ll Save You Time

When I first got into the world of SEO, you could literally optimize your site for any term and rank at the top of Google within a month or two.

But of course, that was ages ago.

Now with Google’s ever-evolving algorithm, it takes more time and effort to get results.

But what happens if you don’t have the luxury of time? Or you don’t have the financial resources to put in the effort that is truly needed.

What should you do?

Just forget about SEO?

Of course not. Today, I want to call out 11 tools that will help you get an edge over your competition. But unlike most lists, I am going to get very specific on the feature I want you to use within each tool to make your life easier and help you get results faster with less effort.

Let’s dive right in.

Tool #1: Ubersuggest Projects

You probably already know about Ubersuggest, but do you really have time to spend hours and hours each week to do your SEO?

Chances are you don’t.

So how do you improve your traffic with the least amount of effort?

You set up a project in Ubersuggest.

As you can see, it shows your SEO traffic over time. It will let you know if your rankings are going up or down, your link growth, and your SEO issues.

With so many things going on in marketing, you don’t have time to manually check your rankings or if things are going up or down or even what you need to fix.

Ubersuggest will do it for you all automatically and even notify you of what needs to happen through email. That way you don’t have to constantly check your SEO. Ubersuggest will do it all automatically.

More so, you’ll get notified of what you need to focus on each week to maximize your traffic.

All you have do is head to the dashboard and click on “Add Your First Project.”

It’s as simple as adding in your URL.

Then select the locations you do business in and want traffic from.

Then add in the keywords you currently rank for or want to go after.

And of course, set up your traffic preferences.

And then you’ll be good to go.

Then when things go great, you’ll be notified. And when things are going wrong, you’ll also be notified. Ubersuggest will even tell you what to fix.

That way you get the maximum results in the least amount of time.

Tool #2: Google Analytics Alerts

You have Google Analytics set up on your site, but how often do you log in?

And when you do log in, do you know what to focus on or what to look at?

And if you do, do you know what to do with that data?

Google Analytics is a great tool, but you don’t want to waste hours and hours looking at reports. Instead, you want to spend your time doing and getting results.

But if you set up alerts in Google Analytics, you can save tons of time.

If you watch from the 6:33 mark, it will show you how to set up alerts. I added the whole video as it will teach you how to set up Google Analytics in general in case you don’t have goal tracking set in place.

Once you set up alerts, you’ll again get notified when anything good or bad happens. I usually have alerts set up for only when things go bad, so I know when I need to focus on fixing my marketing.

Tool #3: Trello

You’re probably thinking how the heck is Trello a marketing tool. It really isn’t, but it is a good project management tool.

And with your SEO, you may have a team helping you out and Trello will help streamline the process, make you more efficient, and get your results faster.

I keep my Trello board simple by breaking it into 3 sections.

To do – what needs to be done over time.
Prioritized – what I need to be done now (tasks at the top are the most important)
Done – tasks that need to be double-checked to ensure they were done right.

It’s that simple. That way you don’t have to micromanage your team.

Some people have more complex Trello boards, but something simple like I have works too.

If you want to create a Trello board for your content marketing, assuming you want to write lots of content (such as 10 posts a week), this process works well.

The columns I use for content writers are:

Topics – this is where writers add topics they want to write about.
Outline review – writers submit their outline before they write for approval.
Draft – writers submit their rough draft.
Draft review – editors review each draft.
Uploaded, prepared, and ready to review – this is where the editor adds the post to your CMS (like WordPress).
Scheduled – this is where you schedule the content to go live.
Done – the content is now live.

We’ve found it effective if you are managing dozens of writers at once.

Tool #4: Content Decay Tool

Can you guess how many articles I write each week?

Seriously, that’s it. 1 article a week which is roughly 4 to 5 per month (depending on how many weeks in the month).

And can you guess how many articles my team and I update each week?

21.

That’s roughly 90 a month.

Just think about it… why would I have a team of 3 people updating 90 articles per month when I only write 1 a week.

It’s because updating old content is an easier way to get more SEO traffic than it is to create new content.

But what content should you update?

The content decay tool will tell you that.

It breaks down in order which articles you should update first, second, third… based on what will generate you the most traffic.

If you are wondering what is involved with updating content, just think of it this way:

Is there anything outdated within your post – if so, either update the outdated information and make it relevant again. If you can’t, then delete that part from your article.
Can you use media to improve the experience – do you need to embed videos, add more pictures, maybe even add an infographic? Use media to better tell your story and message.
Are you including the right keywords – a simple way to get more traffic is to integrate other popular related keywords within your article. Whatever your article is about, insert it into Ubersuggest and head to the “Keyword Ideas” report in the left-hand navigation.
Is there anything missing – try to poke holes within your content. What could you have done to make it better? What do your competitors talk about that you forgot to mention? What questions didn’t you answer that the reader might have? By asking yourself these simple questions, you’ll be able to make it better.

Tool #5: Ubersuggest Chrome Extension

If you haven’t installed the Ubersuggest Chrome extension, make sure you do so.

I’m not going to bore you with all of the features of the extension… instead, I am going to give you one thing that will save you time.

You know when you Google for information to learn more on any subject?

Chances are, sometimes you are Googling to learn something related to your space. And when you do, you’ll find that your site usually won’t be at the top of those search results.

And that’s ok.

But when you do a search, you’ll notice “monthly searches” in the Google search bar.

This shows you how often that keyword is searched.

So anytime you are looking up anything in your space, pay attention to that number. If you see a keyword with over 5,000 searches, it may be worth targeting.

And as you scroll down and start going through the sites that rank at the top, you’ll notice metrics under each site.

If you notice a web page with thousands of social shares and hundreds of links, it should reaffirm that you probably want to go after that term. And the listing that has thousands of social shares and hundreds of links is a good benchmark of a page that is high in quality and what people in your space prefer.

Ideally, you want to create something better than that one, as that is the main way you beat them over time.

Tool #6: Hello Bar

SEO is very different than paid traffic.

With paid traffic, you can drive people to a landing page with very little content, which makes it easier to generate sales or leads.

With SEO, Google prefers to rank content-rich sites.

But when someone lands on a page full of educational-based content, they are less likely to convert into a customer.

There’s a simple fix… Hello Bar.

Hello Bar has a lot of features, but I just want you to use the top bar like I do on NeilPatel.com.

And as you scroll it moves along with you.

That one little thing allows me to improve my conversion rate from my SEO traffic.

You can easily adjust what you show with a few simple clicks within Hello Bar or you can even show people different messages based on where they are coming from.

Although SEO traffic doesn’t convert as well as paid traffic, it is much cheaper in the long run and does have a better overall ROI. And that one little Hello Bar will improve your numbers.

It’s responsible for 9.4% of revenue from NeilPatel.com.

Every little bit adds up.

Tool #7: Mozcast

Google makes over 3,200 algorithm changes a year.

Are you really going to keep up to date with all of them?

If you followed the first tool and set up a project in Ubersuggest, you’ll get notified when your rankings go down.

And if you set up alerts in Google Analytics (tool number 2) you’ll also get notified when your traffic drops drastically.

What you’ll find is that it’s overwhelming to keep up with all of Google’s updates and it could be confusing to figure out what you need to fix to get your traffic back.

This report on Moz keeps track of all of the algorithm updates and gives you an overview of what has changed or what the update is about. On top of that, you’ll want to check out the Mozcast if you get a notification of ranking or traffic drops as this tool confirms if other people are also seeing changes from a Google update.

Keep in mind that Google doesn’t announce each update, hence you’ll want to cross-reference what you are seeing with the Mozcast.

That way you don’t have to spend hours researching each update.

Tool #8: Detailed

Link building is a pain. There are so many link tools like this one… but let’s not kid ourselves… you just don’t have the time to spend 10 to 20 hours a week doing link building.

So, each minute you spend, you have to make sure it counts.

There’s a tool called Detailed that breaks down the best links for every industry.

All you have to do is select an industry and a site and it shows you all of the good links that are going to your competition.

You can then focus your efforts on reaching out to those sites to get links.

Sure, you will still need to have amazing content or a good product or service in order to convince those sites to link to you, but hey, if you don’t have any of that it’s going to be hard to do well in the first place.

So, don’t waste your time trying to search for links when Detailed will give you a list of hundreds of amazing sites to get links from within your space.

Tool #9: Site Speed Audit

Speed impacts rankings.

Google doesn’t want to rank slow websites anymore.

It doesn’t matter that technology has become better and you can now purchase satellite Internet. Not every location has blazing fast Internet.

For that reason, Google has an Accelerated Mobile Pages framework that helps with mobile load time.

But that’s not enough, you also need your website to load fast.

So, go here and put in your URL.

You’ll then be taken to a report that looks like this:

What you’ll want to focus on is site speed. That Ubersuggest report pulls from Google Lighthouse.

So, send that to your developer and tell them to get you in the green mark for both mobile and desktop load times.

As your speed goes up, so will your SEO rankings and traffic over time.

Tool #10: Supermetrics

Are you tired of having your data everywhere?

Why would you want to log into four of five different apps to get your SEO and marketing data when you could log into one.

And no, I am not talking about Google Analytics. I am talking about Google Data Studio.

If you haven’t used it yet, sign up for it… it’s free.

Google Data Studio is a business intelligence tool that will show you all of your data in one place.

So how do you get all of your SEO data into Google Data Studio? You use Supermetrics.

It passes all of your SEO data from different sources into Data Studio, so you no longer have to log into multiple tools, including Google Analytics.

My favorite feature in Supermetrics is you can automate your marketing reporting, so you no longer have to create your reports manually.

Tool #11: VidIQ

Google is the most popular search engine.

But do you know what the second most popular search engine is?

It’s not Bing… it’s actually YouTube, which Google actually owns.

If you haven’t done YouTube SEO yet, you should reconsider. Just look at how much search traffic I get from YouTube each month.

This article will break down how to do YouTube SEO if you want to learn how it works.

But to make things easier, install this Chrome extension.

Whenever you perform a search on YouTube it will show you what’s popular, what keywords are being searched that are related to each video, and which tags people are using to get more SEO traffic.

I wanted to end this post with VidIQ because it’s not competitive.

See, unlike traditional SEO, it doesn’t take months to see results. YouTube SEO is the opposite in which it isn’t as competitive (yet) and you can rank at the top within 24 to 48 hours of releasing a video (seriously!).

Conclusion

They say SEO is hard and time-consuming. And I am not going to lie, you won’t get results unless you put in some effort.

But who says it has to be as time-consuming?

By using some of the tools I mentioned above you’ll save time. It really is that simple.

I know there is a lot and it can be overwhelming. So if you don’t have time to use all of the tools it is fine… just start at the top and work your way down (I put them in order based on what will save you the most time).

What other ways do you save time on your SEO?

The post The SEO Tool Kit: 11 Tools That’ll Save You Time appeared first on Neil Patel.